Vancouver Whitecaps FC

The Vancouver Whitecaps have completed the signing of Jordon Mutch from English Premier League side Crystal Palace on a one-year loan, with the option to buy. Mutch becomes Vancouver’s 10th signing of the winter and leaves Palace after failing to make an appearance this season.

The 26-year-old English midfielder has only appeared on the Eagles’ bench three times over the course of the 2017/18 campaign and will be hoping the move to Major League Soccer can help reignite his career.

The former Cardiff City and QPR man has recorded a total of 17 goals and added 26 assists in 206 club matches in all competitions over the course of his career so far. He is a box-to-box midfielder, who replaces the outgoing Tony Tchani for Vancouver.

“Jordon is a top midfielder who has played at the highest level,” Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson said. “He’s played against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United and now he wants to prove himself again in a new environment.

“He likes to get forward, he’s full of energy, and he’s in the prime of his career. We’re delighted to have him here.”

Mutch will spend the entire 2018 season with the Whitecaps, with the club having the option to purchase him if his time in MLS is a success.

The Vancouver Whitecaps kick off the 2018 season this weekend, taking on Montreal Impact on Sunday evening at BC Place Stadium. It’s unlikely that Mutch will be included in the lineup, given that he lacks match practice and will not have had enough time to prepare for the game.

Match Preview

New York City FC welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps to Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Both sides are looking to push for a playoff berth this season but have not been as good as they would have both hopes so far and so this could play out to be a great matchup.

NYCFC have struggled so far this season with their only win coming on the opening day against Chicago Fire. Patrick Vieira will need to pick this team up soon as they are falling off the pace with every passing week.

The form and fitness of their Designated Players will be key to sealing any potential playoff spot and getting Frank Lampard and David Villa into top form will be paramount. Frank Lampard will have to regain fitness first though as he is still yet to play in 2016.

Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with Montreal will have left New York City frustrated once again as they conceded in the dying embers of the game but an immediate response is now needed.

Vancouver Whitecaps are not the same side that we saw at the start of the 2015 season as they are struggling to maintain form thus far.

One win in five has seen the Whitecaps drop out of the playoff spots in the Western Conference. However, the 3-0 win against FC Dallas last weekend – in which David Ousted produced one of the goalkeeping displays of the season – followed by the midweek draw with Sporting Kansas City has seen them regain a bit of confidence.

If the Whitecaps are to replicate their form from 2015, these are the sort of games on paper they should be winning and Karl Robinson will be expecting nothing less on Saturday night.

These two sides have only met once before, with NYCFC winning 2-1 at BC Place in September thanks to goals from Villa and Lampard, with the Spaniard’s 94th minute penalty sealing all three points.

Team News

New York City FC will be without Connor Brandt through injury. Jack Harrison (hip), Frank Lampard (calf) and Ethan White (hamstring) are all doubtful.

Vancouver Whitecaps will not be able to call upon Christian Dean (foot) or Deybi Flores (adductor strain), who are both out with injuries. Pedro Morales is struggling with a hip strain and may not feature.

Key Points

New York City FC’s last five: D/D/L/L/D

Vancouver Whitecaps’ last five: D/L/L/W/D

Key Stat: NYCFC are attempting to go unbeaten for four consecutive matches at home for the first time in their short MLS history, although they have yet to win at Yankee Stadium this year.

Key Player: David Villa – Having scored two braces already this season, the World Cup winner has shown signs of his immense value to this squad but he needs to produce more regularly. NYCFC will look to him for inspiration once more on Saturday and he will need to deliver.

Score Prediction

New York City FC 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps – New York City FC have struggled so far this season and Vancouver have too, but having not won since the opening day leaves NYCFC lacking confidence and we expect Vancouver to capitalise with an away victory on Saturday.

Match Preview

The Whitecaps started last season at home to Canadian opposition but fell 3-1 to Toronto and will be desperate to get off to a better start this time around.

Despite dropping their opening game last year, Vancouver went on to finish second in the Western Conference and had the best defensive record in MLS in 2015. The home fans will be full of optimism as they start what they hope will be another successful campaign.

Vancouver’s preseason form certainly suggests the squad is ready for the new season. They won five of their six games in preparation for the new term and look to be in good shape.

Montreal had a far less encouraging preseason run, winning just one of their six games, but will be looking forward to starting the real thing here.

The Impact became one of the league’s most dangerous teams towards the end of 2015, mainly thanks to Didier Drogba’s sensational arrival, though they will start 2016 without their star attacker as he will not play on turf.

Mauro Biello has strengthened the squad over the offseason and will be looking forward to seeing how his new-look attack cope with a well drilled Vancouver defence on opening weekend.

Both sides had a player sent off in their final preseason games, proving the intensity of each squad, and so this has the potential to be a fiery Canadian clash at BC Place.

The Impact won last year’s only regular season meeting 2-1 on home soil but have yet to win an MLS game in Vancouver.

Team News

Vancouver have no injury concerns heading into the new season and Carl Robinson will have the luxury of picking his best team for an important home opener. New signings Fraser Aird, Christian Bolanos and Blas Perez will expect to start.

Montreal will need to cope without Didier Drogba for four of their first five games of the new season as he is opting not to play on turf. The Impact will need to cope without their star man, while the only injury concern appears to be Andres Romero. The midfielder tore his ACL in October and is still on the road to recovery. New signings Harry Shipp and Lucas Ontivero will be hoping for starts but it’s unlikely both will feature from the off. Dominic Oduro should start in place of Droba on Sunday.

Key Points

Vancouver Whitecaps’ preseason form: W/W/W/L/W/W

Montreal Impact’s preseason form: L/D/L/W/D/D

Key Stat: Vancouver are unbeaten in five home games against Montreal in all competitions (W2 D3).

Key Player: Pedro Morales – The Vancouver Whitecaps playmaker saw out his preseason preparations in style as he scored a first-half brace in the 3-1 win over Minnesota United last weekend. He will hope to hit the ground running in 2016 and should cause the Montreal defence problems throughout.

Score Prediction

Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 Montreal Impact – This is a really tricky one to call. Both sides will be full of excitement heading into the new season and have to try and ensure they remain disciplined. Vancouver weren’t as good at home as they could have been last year and Montreal will more than fancy their chances of taking at least a point from this one. Both sides will expect to find the net but don’t be surprised if this ends up all square.

As the 2016 MLS season edges closer, we’ll be publishing each team’s MLS 2016 Season Preview. Today we take a look at what Vancouver Whitecaps will be hoping to achieve this season.

The 2015 season was the Vancouver Whitecaps’ best to date. Supporters will be thrilled with their team’s performance as they finished second in the Western Conference after racking up their highest points total in what was their fifth season in MLS. The playoff exit to eventual winners, and Cascadia rivals, Portland Timbers will have hurt but they will be pleased with how last year went and now face the tough task in trying to repeat their achievements over the course of 2016. That will be difficult in an ever-competitive Western Conference, and with teams around them strengthening, Vancouver need to improve again if they are to challenge as high up as they did last term. Carl Robinson is a great coach and has built a young, hungry squad in Vancouver. There have been some key changes to the squad this offseason and so trying to hit the ground running will be vital.

Last season’s finish:

Western Conference – Position: 2nd – P34 – W16 – D5 – L13

What needs to change this year?

The Whitecaps don’t need to change much to be successful in 2016. But the biggest challenge will be replicating their performances from last season. The Whitecaps conceded the fewest goals in MLS (36) in 2015 and will need to try and remain tight at the back once again. They also picked up the most points away from home (24), although their form at BC Place could have been better. They will hope to take more from home games this year, while starting well will be important. Vancouver ended the 2015 regular season with just one win from their last six and so they will hope that was just a temporary dip in form, rather than anything more long-term.

Key Player:

Photo: MLSSoccer.com

Kendall Waston – Defender – Perhaps a surprise choice as the Whitecaps’ key player, but Kendall Waston was consistently good in 2015 and was one of the key reasons they had the best defensive record in Major League Soccer. The Costa Rican defender scored two goals, proving his effectiveness at either end, and led the team in interceptions with an average of 4.2 per game. He is a great reader of the game and is vitally important to Vancouver.

One to Watch:

Christian Bolaños – Midfielder – Vancouver’s biggest offseason acquisition was that of Costa Rican playmaker Christian Bolaños. The 31-year-old joins the Canadian club in a transfer from Saprissa and will hope to make an immediate impact in MLS. He will bring experience to a young squad and is capable of scoring goals from almost anywhere. He will be an exciting player to watch, so long as he can find his feet quickly.

Predicted Finish:

Western Conference – 5th – The 2016 season should be another promising one for the Vancouver Whitecaps, but finishing as high as second seems tough to envisage heading into the new season. The squad has changed over the offseason, with the losses of Steven Beitashour and Gershon Koffie likely to have an effect. They ended 2015 in poor form and will need to try and start quickly. They can be expected to make the playoffs again, but might have to settle for a lower finish than second.

Match Preview

Both sides are expected to make the playoffs once again this season. Vancouver are just one point off LA Galaxy in first place in the West, while Dallas are not too much further behind in fifth.

Vancouver fell 4-3 to Sporting Kansas City last weekend in a thrilling contest. The Whitecaps let a 3-1 lead slip late on and will need to show their resilience to bounce back with victory here.

Vancouver Whitecaps’ 2015 record: P25 – W13 – D3 – L9

That loss ended a three-game win streak and head coach Carl Robinson will need to rally his troops to beat the side that eliminated them from last year’s playoff at the first hurdle.

Dallas come into the game off the back of last week’s 2-1 loss at home to LA Galaxy as they lost two games in a row for the first time since May. They will be desperate to avoid that becoming a three-game losing run with the playoffs fast approaching.

FC Dallas’ 2015 record: P23 – W11 – D5 – L7

FC Dallas have, at times, looked like an unstoppable force but inconsistency constantly holds them back. They had won five straight games before a 2-0 loss to Chicago Fire two weeks ago and need to find their form once more.

This will be first meeting since that playoff game last October as Dallas won 2-1 at home. Vancouver did win the game at BC Place 2-0 prior to that though and will be confident of picking up at least a point this time around.

Team News

Vancouver have just one injury concern as Ben McKendry is ruled out with a knee injury.

FC Dallas have one concern too as Mauro Diaz is a doubt. He is expected to recover in time to feature though.

Key Points

Vancouver Whitecaps’ last five: D/W/W/W/L

FC Dallas’ last five: W/W/W/L/L

Key Stat:Vancouver have scored at least 3 goals in their last 4 matches in MLS.

Key Player: Kekuta Manneh – The Whitecaps’ speedster is a constant threat for opposition defences. He bagged a brace in the loss against Sporting KC and will look to add to his season tally of six here.

Score Prediction

Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 FC Dallas – This could turn into a goal-fest between two sides desperate for points. The Whitecaps have been in fine goalscoring form of late and home advantage should see them just edge it.

Sporting Kansas City scored twice in the final ten minutes and once more in stoppage time to defeat the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 4-3 in a thrilling Western Conference matchup on Saturday night. Sporting KC remains undefeated on home soil this season, and now climbs into fourth place in the Supporters’ Shield standings, just two behind Vancouver.

As late as the 81st minute, it looked as if their remarkable 7-0-4 home record would receive its first black mark, as the visitors held a 3-1 lead on a brace from speedster Kekuta Manneh and a wonderful free kick from 30 yards out by captain Pedro Morales.

Manneh’s goals were textbook counters. The first saw him turnover the ball just inside his own half, then run straight at the KC defence for fifty yards before left-footing it past ‘keeper Tim Melia. The second involved a similar turnover by Steven Beitashour, who scooted up the right flank and delivered a delicious cross to Manneh in the six-yard box. As for Morales, he came on in the 65th minute and doled out a handful of wonderful passes before hitting that free kick with medical precision.

For a five-minute stretch after the Argentine’s highlight strike, Kansas City looked absolutely defeated. They had held the edge in play most of the night, but they were down by two, and that had been the game plan for the Whitecaps. The visitors were content to bide their time, let Sporting KC run at them, and look for counterstrike opportunities. It’s a strategy that has garnered them the best road record in MLS this season, and on this day it worked for most of the match.

But then Sporting Kansas City decided to set a record by coming back from two goals down in the 80th minute to win for the first time in club history. They become just the second ever MLS side to do so after DC United did back in 2003.

Krisztian Nemeth launched a perfect cross that found Dom Dwyer all alone in the box. He headed the ball past David Ousted, no mistake. Six minutes later, Chance Myers found Paulo Nagamura with room at the lip of the 18-yard box — he pounded a low one-timer into the far corner, and it was a tie game to the delight of the home crowd.

Queue the dramatic come-from-behind music; the Brazilian wasn’t finished. Deep into stoppage time, Soni Mustivar put a long cross toward the Vancouver goal, and Nagamura scored his second in a matter of minutes to lift the roof off Sporting Park.

After the match, Vancouver coach Carl Robinson was livid with referee Juan Guzman. In particular, he cited a collision that happened with about 20 minutes left in the match, when it was still 3-1 for the visitors. Pa Madou Kah and Dom Dwyer ran into each other away from the ball, and each was attended by team medical staff. Both teams had already used their three substitutions, however, so they both stayed on the pitch. Dwyer would score one of his team’s late goals. Robinson ranted post-game that his defender had suffered a broken jaw on that play, contributing to a significant drop in performance and, in turn, the Kansas City comeback.

On a positive note for the losers, Vancouver has set aside worries that they can’t score. They’ve netted 14 goals in the past four league matches, and suddenly boast the second-best offence in the Western Conference. Worrying, however, is the fact that, including the Canadian Championship game against the Montreal Impact last week, the Whitecaps have squandered three two-goal leads in two games.

As for Sporting Kansas City, they’re now unbeaten in three and boast the best points-per-game record in Major League Soccer.

Sporting KC’s next match is on Wednesday, August 19, when they host the woeful San Jose Earthquakes. Vancouver hopes to get back in the win column when FC Dallas visits on Saturday, August 22.

Match Preview

With top European sides touring the nation for preseason friendlies and the All-Star game less than a week away, Major League Soccer is very much in the spotlight. Vancouver won’t be thinking about any of that though as they look to keep their Western Conference title ambitions alive.

It will be important to note that MLS All-Star David Ousted has been a key part of their success so far, and a clean sheet come the end of play on Sunday is strong possibility. The home fans will expect three points and will want to see that three-game winless run end in this one.

While Vancouver will be looking to regain top spot in the Western with a win as they are just two points behind FC Dallas in first place going into the weekend.

Team News

Vancouver Whitecaps are without Sam Adekugbe as he is still suffering with an ankle injury. Pedro Morales and Pa Modou Kah remain doubtful. Jordan Harvey is suspended, while Kendall Waston and Darren Mattocks are away on international duty.

San Jose Earthquakes are still without Designated Player Innocent Emeghara through injury as well as Steven Lenhart. Mike Fucito is a doubt with a hamstring injury. Cordell Cato and Chris Wondolowski are away on international duty.

Key Points

Vancouver Whitecaps’ last five: W/W/L/L/D

San Jose Earthquakes’ last five: W/W/L/L/L

Key Stat: San Jose have yet to register a win when playing Vancouver away from home.

Key Player: Octavio Rivero – Only one goal in his last ten appearances isn’t the most threatening of records but Rivero has shown promise thus far, and we expect him to be the difference on Sunday night.

Once concern this week will be that they have only managed to win once when visiting Colorado – a 1-0 win in 2012.

Team News

Colorado Rapids duo Axel Sjoberg and Juan Ramiez are both doubts and aren’t expected to feature. Gabriel Torres is away on international duty so Luis Solignac is expected to play up front alone, with Kevin Doyle likely to start behind him.

Vancouver Whitecaps are without Sam Adekugbe and Pedro Morales, who are both doubts and should miss the clash. Russell Teibert and Darren Mattocks are both away on international duty.

Key Points

Colorado Rapids’ last five in MLS: L/D/D/L/L

Vancouver Whitecaps’ last five in MLS: W/L/W/W/W

Key Stat: Colorado have only won once in their last fourteen home matches in MLS.

Key Player: David Ousted – Whitecaps ‘keeper Ousted has arguably been the best between the sticks this season and we’re not expecting Colorado to threaten enough come Saturday night.